With the economic situation being at a critical time and so many Americans are either unemployed or do not have health insurance, this seems like a reasonable solution to the Medicare issue!
Many of these Americans aged 55 to 65 have no insurance due to unemployment or can't afford to buy into the traditional plans available due to the high cost of coverage for their age group.
If Americans in that age group could buy into the system, they would finally have insurance, Medicare would have a way of continuing to survive by getting money from those who are covered.
It is high time that the so called traditional carriers have some healthy competition and that every American should have the opportunity to buy affordable insurance!